Tom notes:
Neither have computer science departments embraced the history of computer science as an important area of teaching or research.
And Paul asks In what way has history ever been “useful” to computer scientists? I am saddened that history and culture of computing are, indeed, not adequately covered in computer science programs with which I am familiar. I am a computer scientist, not a historian. However, I don’t think I could do my research in model representation effectively without reading the history of modeling, computing, engineering, and technology. I am presenting a paper this coming week (ACM SIGSIM) on “computing as model-based empirical science.” This hypothesis would not be possible without historical context, especially in the area of analog computing. Analog computing has good coverage in the history of computing, but is noticeably absent from computer science curricula (the topic split off into systems engineering). I am not sure I follow the thread on Knuth’s lecture, but am anxious to find out more. -p Paul Fishwick, PhD Chair, ACM SIGSIM Distinguished Chair of Arts & Technology and Professor of Computer Science Director, Creative Automata Laboratory The University of Texas at Dallas Arts & Technology 800 West Campbell Road, AT10 Richardson, TX 75080-3021 Home: utdallas.edu/atec/fishwick Blog: creative-automata.com